Electric-set numbering wheel

ABSTRACT

A set of number wheels for a data recorder are aligned to serve as a variable data source by first establishing all wheels to a zero or home position. A controller provides a program. The controller is polled to determine the wheels in the series which are to remain at zero and these wheels are locked. All other wheels are driven in unison until the indicia thereon are aligned at a first position. The controller is again polled to determine which wheels are to remain at that position and they are locked. The process is repeated step by step until the entire set has been rotated to align a desired indicia series in a print-out or display path.

United States Patent McVey 1 June 17, 1975 1 ELECTRIC-SET NUMBERING WHEEL Primary Examiner-Gareth D. Shaw [75] Inventor. Charles W. McVey, Eastlake. Ohio Assmam Examiner paul R. woods [73] Assignee: Addressograph-Multigraph Attorney, Age/1!, or FirmRay S. Pyle Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio [22] Filed: June 26, 1973 [57] ABSTRACT [2]] A M 373,821 A set of number wheels for a data recorder are aligned to serve as a variable data source by first establishing all wheels to a zero or home position. A controller [52] U.S. Cl 101/110; 101/ 9321 provides a program The controller is polled to deter i the wheels in the Series which are to remain at [58] new of Search 340/1725 101/93 C' zero and these wheels are locked. All other wheels are 9321 235/7 driven in unison until the indicia thereon are aligned Y at a first position. The controller is again polled to de- [Sfil Reterences Cited termine which wheels are to remain at that position UNITED STA ES PATENTS and they are locked. The process is repeated step by 2,720,832 10/1955 Luning 101/93 C step until the entire set has been rotated to align a de- 2,906,200 9/1959 Pfleger 101/93 C sired indicia series in a print-out or display path. 3,176,610 4/1965 Benson et a1. 101/93 C 3/1974 Morinkovich et a1. 340/1725 X 5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures I ELECTRIC-SET NUMBERING WHEEL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Rotatable wheels with a series of numbers from one through nine and zero are the most common example of settable wheels in common use. The general populace is most frequently aware of such devices in a data recorder, such as used by oil companies to print credit billing. Digital clocks are another example. Industry uses such devices for digital read-out and print out from electronic sources. Cash registers and adding machines are further examples. All can set a series of characters by the concepts of this invention.

In order to bring this teaching within the ambient of more common knowledge. and with the field in which the inventor is most concerned and experienced, this text will be couched in terms of data recorders.

Heretofore the data print wheels of data recorders have generally been hand set. An operator will use a finger or stylus to actually rotate the wheel against the retard action ofa detent. A more sophisticated and acceptable form is the oil company data recorder wherein the wheels are coupled to levers which are located on a keyboard. Generally the levers are longitudinally slidable to indicia numbers which indicate that when the lever is set to that indicia number the corresponding wheel in the machine will be in position to present an embossed or raised character to imprint that indicia.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The objective to be accomplished by this invention is to set up a series of print wheels into a relative rotary relationship to establish selected ones of the peripherally located indicia into a series. The most common indicia will be numbers, but alpha or alpha-numeric indicia may be desired. To simplify this teaching, a number machine is selected as the teaching embodiment. The separate wheels each are selectively rotated to put one of the indicia thereon into a position such that other wheels when likewise selected will align with that number and the entire series of selected numbers will then together be capable of communicating a desired information.

In the context of this teaching, the number series will comprise digits which are raised characters and serve as printing members to imprint a number on a print form. As an example, the numbers are most often used to represent monetary amounts of a credit transaction.

The intent of this invention, therefore, is to establish that number series through electronic control. A drive device attempts to rotate each wheel through one 360 rotation. A lock device intercepts that attempted rotation. The lock device is actuated by the controller, which controller continuously polls the wheel series to determine accurately where that series is at any particular moment in its possible rotary position.

In particular, the object of this invention is to provide a computer controlled eIectro-set numbering print head.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is an exploded diagrammatic illustration of the construction embodying the principles of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a commercial data recorder numbering wheel set including the electricalmechanical portions;

FIG. 3 is an end view taken from the line 33 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is an end view taken from the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. Sis an end view taken from the line 55 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is an end elevation taken from the line 6-6 of FIG. 2, with portions broken away.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The physical structure of the preferred embodiment of the invention will be described first, and then the electronic controls and the use of the entire combination.

In FIG. 1, two numbering wheels each bearing the reference character 10 are illustrated in exploded relationship. An entire set of the wheels is indicated by reference 11 in the FIG. 2. There is no limit to the number of wheels in a set.

Each wheel 10 is constructed with a peripheral set of indicia 12. In the context of the preferred embodiment, the indicia are numerals from one through nine and zero as used in the printing of date and variable amounts, such as money transaction.

The wheels 10 are journalled on shaft 14 in order that they may rotate on the shaft independently of shaft drive or rotation. A motor 15 drives the shaft in one direction at a uniform rate when energized. A worm and shaft drive train I6 are illustrated in FIG. 2 as the means to rotate the shaft, whereas the FIG. I illustration is diagrammatic.

The shaft 14 has a longitudinal groove. Drive washers 19 are provided with a tongue 20 to cause the washer to interfit with the shaft and rotate when the shaft r0- tates.

The several wheels 10 are placed on the shaft with individual drive washers between each of the wheels and the shaft loaded between side plates 22 of a machine frame. Then, by means of a spring 23 the entire stack of wheels 10 and drive washers 19 are pressed together toward one of the side plates. This construction provides a slip clutch for each wheel coupling the wheel to receive a drive urge from the shaft, although no wheel is directly connected to the shaft. The drive washers are driven and because of spring pressure from spring 23, the washers transmit a friction drag drive effeet to the wheels.

As thus far described, when the motor 15 is energized, the several wheels will rotate in unison with the shaft and continue to rotate as long as the shaft rotates. This invention provides for the locking of each wheel individually into its selected rotary position by grasping the wheel when it reaches the proper location and holding it there against the force of the clutch.

Each wheel 10 is provided with a ratchet face 25. There is one tooth for each of the indicia I2 and the teeth are oriented along the face of the wheel such that when it is grasped in a particular lock station, a desired indicia member will be locked in a display path. By display path is meant a location where the indicia is aligned with other indicia for visual or print-out purposes. The tooth related to a particular indicia is not located at that indicia, usually, but at a convenient location where it can be grasped and locked. Nevertheless, the ratchet face is essentially uniform and therefore wherever a latch effect is used it may be oriented to stop a particular indicia in the display path.

The means for stopping the wheel in a selected location is illustrated in perspective view in FIG. 1. It is referred to by numeral 27. In FIG. 1 the pawl 27 is illustrated with a catch end 28 thereof poised ready to enter into engagement with a tooth on the ratchet face 25 which will hold the zero numeral in the print path. The pawl 27 is shown in FIG. I mounted upon a shaft 29. The mounting is a journal mounting in order that the shaft 29 may serve only as a pivot point for the pawl 27.

The pawl 27 is driven by a solenoid plunger 30. Sole noid 30 need operate for only a very short period of time in order to pivot the pawl 27 from the inactive position shown in the drawings to an engaged position. The solenoid is attached to the pawl 27 at a lever end 31 of the pawl. The lever end 31 is a bull nose which is dimensioned to swing through a small are which embraces the position of a ball detent 33. A spring 34 urges the ball detent into the path of swing of the end 31 and therefore will tend to hold the pawl catch end 28 in a selected locked or unlocked position once established in that position.

Each wheel has through openings 43 located around the outer edge area of the wheel. There is one opening 43 for each mdicia. Again, the location with respect to the indicia is established arbitrarily but each opening bears the same relationship to an indicia in order that location of an opening at an observation station is accompanied by location of an indicia in the display path. A light source 44 on one side of the wheel and a photocell 46 on the opposite side of the wheel will cause each of the openings 43 to act as a position sensing means wherein a gate is used to pass a signal upon arrival of the indicia related to that gate into the series position. Thus, as the openings rotate into alignment, they will allow light to reach the cell 46 to create an electrical impulse which can be observed by a control system for monitoring the position of the wheels.

With each of the several wheels made with identical opening locations, when the entire stack of wheels is placed on the shaft 14 between the side walls 22, and initially aligned, the light passage will go through the aligned opening just as it would with one. Because of the frictional engagement of the wheels, they will then rotate in unison and maintain the alignment. The light passage is akin to electrical passage which could be accomplished by conductive slugs in a nonconductive material, but light passage is more adaptable for metal wheels. The control system for this invention employs a controller 50 which turns the motor on and off and pulses the solenoid at the proper time.

Because the selection of wheels will not be uniform and most usually not preknown, the means to program the controller is a control system shown as including a computer 52 which may store information and provide data for the controller 50, a credit card reader 54 and a keyboard 56 may also be included as means to provide information to the controller 50 for establishing the selection of indicia.

With the wheels set to the zero condition shown in FIG. 2, and the controller 50 provided with information as to what combination is to be established in a series position, the controller 50 causes the light source 44 to pass light through a selected aligned series of the openings 43 to energize the photocell 46. The controller then establishes which of the wheels is to remain at the zero position and will energize the solenoid 30 associated with those wheels. There is one solenoid for each wheel and therefore each wheel is selectively engaged in its work position by energizing the particular solenoid associated with the wheel.

After consulting the program and energizing the proper solenoids 30, if any, the controller 50 will then energize the motor 15 to apply the drive force to all of the wheels. Any wheel locked at the zero position will slip and stay in the initial position but all other wheels will begin to rotate in unison. Hence, the openings 43 in any wheel which has not been locked will rotate in unison with one another and the rotating wheel will simultaneously present the second of the series of openings in alignment with the stationary opening of any wheel which has remained stationary. At that moment another passage of light will pass through the aligned openings to the photocell 46.

At the moment of this second passage of light to the photocell 46, the controller senses that all of the wheels not locked in the first operation are now positioned with the next in the series of indicia aligned in the display path position. The controller 50 then consults its program source and signals all wheels which are to re main at that location to be locked by signalling the solenoids 30 associated therewith to swing the catch end 28 into engagement with a tooth of the ratchet face 25 as sociated with that particular wheel.

This process is then repeated until the shaft 14 has made one complete revolution. With each increment of movement, the openings will come into alignment and give a pulse signal to the cell 46 whereupon the control ler 50 will each time consult its program source and signal any solenoids 30 which are to lock selected wheels. Hence, in one revolution of the shaft 14, each wheel in the set will rotate to its proper orientation and be locked in position against the drive of the shaft 14. At that time the established indicia series may be used to imprint a document or be visually observed for its information.

After having established an indicia series in a display path, it is then necessary to return all of the wheels to the start or zero position before the next operation as described can take place.

To establish the home position, a pawl 57 is keyed to the shaft 29 on the side of a wheel 10 opposite from the location of the pawl 27 associated with that wheel. A solenoid 58 shown only in FIGS. 2 and 6 is used to drive the shaft 29 in a direction which will swing the pawl 57 in the opposite direction of the locking movement of pawl 27. Such drive movement has no effect upon pawl 27 because the pawl 27 is journalled on the shaft 29.

Pawl 57 has an abutment end 59. Each wheel carries a pin on the face of the wheel opposite from the ratchet face 25. The location of pin 60 is such that whenever the abutment end 59 is moved to the abutemerit position by solenoid 58 the pin will abut the end 59 and cause the wheel to stop. By location of pin 60 in relationship to the zero position of the wheel, the wheel is caused to stop in the zero or starting position shown in FIG. 2. The several pawls 57 are driven by solenoid 58 only long enough for shaft 14 to make one full revolution. In that period of time all wheels will have rotated into full engagement with the ends 59. Pawl 57 carries a hook 61. Pawl 27 has a driver receiving lever end 62. Hook 6! bridges across to underlay the lever 62. The hook and lever are dimensioned such that rotation of pawl 57 will catch and drive pawl 27 to the disengaged position. In FIG. 4, pawl 57 has been returned to its inactive position after the wheels have returned to zero, and the pawl 27 has been moved to its detented inactive condition. The system is now ready for another set and operation.

What is claimed is: l. A number set device for use with a controller in establishing a number series in a data printer, comprising: at least two number wheels each having a plurality of equal angular spaced indicia in a series about the periphery thereof; a shaft, with drive means for rotating said shaft, and

each wheel journaled on said shaft; a slip clutch for each wheel coupling said wheel to receive a drive urge from the shaft;

an energy source; each wheel being an insulator to transmission of energy from said source with restricted areas conductive to energy from said source; said restricted conductive areas being in an equal angular spaced series corresponding one for one to said indicia series and all wheels being identical in such spacing, whereby all transmission areas are aligned whenever a print indicia of each wheel is in the said number series positions for printing, and one or more of said wheels may rotate while others may be held fixed in position and a new complete transmission series will become aligned regardless of the number of wheels turning or stopped when the drive means rotates said shaft a rotary angle equal to the angular spacing of said conductive restricted areas; an energy responsive means positioned to be pulsed upon alignment of a set of said restricted areas; brake means for locking each wheel separately in any one of the number of positions of the indicia alignment;

whereby each alignment of the energy transmission areas will produce a pulse which is counted by said controller, and the brake means for any wheel to be stopped at each rotary pulse position is set by said controller to lock the selected indicia in said print alignment.

2. A number set device as defined in claim 1, wherein 10 said restricted areas are light transmission openings,

the energy source is a radiant generator, and the responsive means is a sensor.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said responsive means is a photocell and the radiant generator produces a light beam.

4. The number set device of claim 1, wherein each wheel is journaled on said shaft and has a tooth on the side face thereof for each indicia position;

tablishing a number series and thereafter resetting to a neutral starting position, comprising:

at least two number wheels each having a plurality of indicia in a series about the periphery thereof; a first shaft, with drive means for rotating said shaft,

and each wheel journaled on said shaft;

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. 3,889,593

DATED 1 June 17, 1975 |NVENTOR(S) Charles W. McVey It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 6, after line 35, the following should be added:

a slip clutch for each wheel coupling said wheel to receive a drive urge from the shaft;

a series of teeth carried on a side surface of each wheel, one for each indicia;

a lock pawl for each wheel, a support shaft extending parallel said first shaft adjacent said wheels said lock pawls journaled on said support shaft and having a hook end swingable between a. tooth latching condition and a release condition, a solenoid drive means for each lock pawl to swing said pawl thereof into said latching condition, and an over-center holding means for holding the latched condition thereafter;

a reset pawl for each wheel, said reset pawl keyed to said support shaft, each wheel having a side surface in the same relative position representing said neutral starting condition, said reset pawls having a stop end swingable between an abutment position with said abutment surfaces, and a release position, a solenoid drive for rotating said shaft and the reset pawl thereon in unison to a selected position, said side abutment surface being related to a home or neutral starting position; said reset pawls and lock pawls having interference engaging surface means for swinging all said lock pawls to said release condition in unison as the reset pawls swing to said abutment position; and

means for actuating said lock pawls in a random sequence to catch and position each wheel in a. predetermined rotary position, and thereafter activating said solenoid drive of the reset pawls to allow all said wheels to return to said neutral starting position.

Signed and Scaled this seventh Day Of Octoberl975 [SEAL] Arrest:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer (ummr'sszrmvr of Parenrs and Tmrlc'murkx 

1. A number set device for use with a controller in establishing a number series in a data printer, comprising: at least two number wheels each having a plurality of equal angular spaced indicia in a series about the periphery thereof; a shaft, with drive means for rotating said shaft, and each wheel journaled on said shaft; a slip clutch for each wheel coupling said wheel to receive a drive urge from the shaft; an energy source; each wheel being an insulator to transmission of energy from said source with restricted areas conductive to energy from said source; said restricted conductive areas being in an equal angular spaced series corresponding one for one to said indicia series and all wheels being identical in such spacing, whereby all transmission areas are aligned whenever a print indicia of each wheel is in the said number series positions for printing, and one or more of said wheels may rotate while others may be held fixed in position and a new compLete transmission series will become aligned regardless of the number of wheels turning or stopped when the drive means rotates said shaft a rotary angle equal to the angular spacing of said conductive restricted areas; an energy responsive means positioned to be pulsed upon alignment of a set of said restricted areas; brake means for locking each wheel separately in any one of the number of positions of the indicia alignment; whereby each alignment of the energy transmission areas will produce a pulse which is counted by said controller, and the brake means for any wheel to be stopped at each rotary pulse position is set by said controller to lock the selected indicia in said print alignment.
 2. A number set device as defined in claim 1, wherein said restricted areas are light transmission openings, the energy source is a radiant generator, and the responsive means is a sensor.
 3. The device of claim 2, wherein said responsive means is a photocell and the radiant generator produces a light beam.
 4. The number set device of claim 1, wherein each wheel is journaled on said shaft and has a tooth on the side face thereof for each indicia position; the brake means is a pawl to lock into a tooth for holding the wheel against rotation as the shaft continues to rotate; and a reset system for each wheel comprising an abutment on a side face of each wheel at the identical relative position for each wheel, and an abutment pawl for each wheel all swingable into abutment position simultaneously as the brake pawls are all swung out of holding engagement simultaneously.
 5. A number set device for use with a controller in establishing a number series and thereafter resetting to a neutral starting position, comprising: at least two number wheels each having a plurality of indicia in a series about the periphery thereof; a first shaft, with drive means for rotating said shaft, and each wheel journaled on said shaft; 